Knowledge, attitude and practice of Ethiopian pediatricians concerning childhood eye diseases

Tolosa Tufa Regassa,Ido Didi Fabian,Kumale Tolesa Daba,Aemero Abateneh Mengasha

doi:10.1186/s12886-021-01842-5

Abstract

BackgroundEye examination and vision assessment are vital for the detection of conditions that result in blindness. Childhood blindness seriously impacts the development, education, and future employment opportunities of affected children. Pediatricians’ knowledge of eye diseases is critical for the prevention of blindness through early diagnosis, allowing proper treatment and identification of conditions requiring referral to an ophthalmologist to preserve or restore vision. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Ethiopian pediatricians concerning childhood eye diseases.MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study of pediatricians working in various hospitals and clinics in Ethiopia. Participants were selected via a convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using both closed and open-ended semi-structured questionnaires. Responses were entered into EpiData 3.1 and transferred to SPSS version 21.0 software for analysis.ResultsA total of 79 pediatricians participated in the study. Our findings showed that the attitude of all but 2 participants towards improving the management of childhood eye diseases was positive, even though this was not reflected in actual knowledge or practice. Even though attitudes were positive, knowledge was often poor and practice inadequate owing to barriers such as inadequate undergraduate training, lack of ophthalmology options during pediatric residency, and unavailability of ophthalmic equipment.ConclusionsParticipants’ attitudes towards improving treatment for childhood eye diseases are positive, but their insufficient knowledge of eye diseases makes their practice poor in this respect.

Highlights

Eye examination and vision assessment are vital for the detection of conditions that result in blindness
The study population of this cross-sectional descriptive study comprised 79 pediatricians who work in various hospitals and clinics in Ethiopia
Following ethical clearance obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Jimma University, participants were recruited for the study by convenience sampling during the annual conference of the Ethiopian Pediatric Society held in February 2019

Summary

Introduction

Eye examination and vision assessment are vital for the detection of conditions that result in blindness. Pediatricians’ knowledge of eye diseases is critical for the prevention of blindness through early diagnosis, allowing proper treatment and identification of conditions requiring referral to an ophthalmologist to preserve or restore vision. Detection of visual impairment and providing correct and timely treatment is imperative for the child’s growth and development. Causes of blindness in children vary widely between regions, reflecting socio-economic development, cultural practices, coverage of preventive measures (e.g. measles immunization), and access to appropriate eye care and optical services [3, 4]. ROP is a major cause of visual impairment in children in middle-income countries and in urban centers of low-income countries [4,5,6,7,8]

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